High speed electro-mechanical interference-type transducer



Oct. 16, 1956 s. M FOMENKO ET Al. 2,766,686

HIGH SPEED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL INTERFERENCE-TYPE TRANSDUCER By 4Z/fn /14 Mina/14 /4 f I I Oct. 16, 1956 s. M, FoMENKo ET A1. 2,766,686

HIGH SPEED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL INTERFERENCE-TYPE TRANSDUCER Filed Sept. lr 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIGH SPEED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL lNTERFERENCE-TYPE TRANSDUCER Sergei M. Fomenko, Topanga, and Alfred M. Nelson,

Manhattan Beach, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Hughes Aircraft Company, a corporation of Delaware Application lSeptember 1, 195B, Serial No. 377,818

14 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) The present invention relates to high-speed printing transducers and more particularly to a high-speed electromechanical interference-type printing transducer responsive to an applied electrical signal for energizing a printing element from a source of mechanical energy to move the printing element into engagement with a printing medium.

In co-pending U. S. patent application Serial No. 377,956 by S. M. Fomenko and E. N. Baldwin for Electro-Mechanical Printing Transducers, tiled September 1, 1953, now abandoned, there is disclosed a highly eicient electro-mechanical printing transducer which converts electrical energy to mechanical energy `for directly moving the printing element into engagement with the printing medium. This transducer comprises a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic eld, an electrical conductor of a U-shaped planar configuration positioned in the magnetic field, and a printing element connected to the conductor. In operation, application of an electrical pulse to the conductor causes current to ilow -through the conductor to generate another magnetic iield which interacts with the magnetic eld of the magnet, thereby ilexing the conductor to move the printing element into engagement with the printing medium to print the character.

One of the principal disadvantages of the printing transducer of the above-mentioned application is that the printing element is directly moved into engagement wtih the printing medium by the applied pulse of electrical energy. Accordingly, the electrical energy delivered to the transducer and converted to mechanical energy must be sufiicient not only to move the conductor but the printing element as well. Moreover, since the applied pulse is utilized to actuate the printing element, it must be exactly synchronized with the movement of the characters on the rotating print drum in order to accurately print a selected character.

Another important disadvantage ofthe printing transducer of the copending application is that it does not readily lend itself to the formation of a very compact transducer array. In such an array the U-sh-aped conductors are generally positioned in the same plane, and since they expand considerably when exed adequate space must be -allowed between conductors to prevent them from interfering with each other. Any attempt to reduce this space requirement by rearranging the conductors, such as by staggering them, would involve enlarging the air gap of the magnet, thereby requiring the application of relatively large amounts of additional power to either the magnet or the conductors to ensure proper printing of the type characters.

The present invention overcomes -the above and other disadvantages of the prior art transducers by providing a relatively more ei'licient high-speed interference-type printing transducer `which is responsive to an applied electrical pulse for rendering a printing element selectively energizable from .a source of mechanical energy to print a character on the printing medium. According to the basic nited States Patent"` r* 2,766,686 Ice Patented Oct. 16, 1956 concept of this invention, the printing element is projected into engagement with the printing medium by interposing an interference element between the source of mechanical energy and the printing element in response to the applied electrical pulse, the interference element acting as the medium by which mechanical energy is transferred from the source to the printing element.

More particularly, according to a preferred embodiment of this invention, a cantilevered interference wire is exed along a rst path into position to be engaged by a selected one of a plurality of rotating sprockets in response to the interaction of the magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet and the magnetic iield generated by the applied electrical pulse. -The selected sprocket engages the interference wire and displaces it and the printing element along a second path to project the printing element into engagement with the printing medium to print the selected character. The rotating sprockets are preferably driven in synchronism with the print drum.

Since the printing element of -the transducer of this invention is energized from a source of mechanical energy, a relatively small amount of electrical energy is expended in actuating the transducer. For example, only 5 to 10 4watt-milliseconds of applied energy is required to actuate the transducer of the present invention, as compared with approximately 50 watt-milliseconds of energy for the printing transducer of the co-pending application. The advance in the transducer art brought about by the present invention is even more apparent when it is considered that about 300 watt-milliseconds of electrical energy is ordinarily required to actuate the prior art transducers, such as the traction magnet type of transducer.

An additional advantage of major importance, derived by indirectly moving the printing element into engagement with the printing medium, is that the applied pulse need not be accurately synchronized with the movement of the characters on the print drum in order to print a selected character. If each of the rotating sprockets corresponds to a type character on the print drum, then the desired character may be printed by flexing `the cantilevered interference Iwire into the path of the oncoming sprocket corresponding to the desired character. Furthermore, if the spacing between successive sprockets is large relative to the cross-sectional dimensions of the interference wire and the interference wire is flexed rapidly in response to an applied pulse, -there is more than `an ample period of time, hereinafter called .the tolerance time, during which the interference wire may be flexed into engagement with the sprocket corresponding to a selected character. The tolerance time is an important feature of the present invention and m-ay be used to good advantage in a variety of ways, such as in the process of re-editing as more fully explained below.

When a printing transducer is used as an output device for high-speed electronic data processing machines to rapidly convert processed intelligence information stored in a memory device to a printed record, it is often desirable to rearrange or re-edit the information already stored in a iirst sequence in the memory device and record it in a second sequence. lIn so doing, it is often preferable to retain the irst sequence of information already stored in the memory device and re-edit at the printing transducer. In the past, when information was stored in a serial-type of memory device, any attempt to re-edit 'at the printing transducer failed because characters of information occupying different positions in the stored sequence would be recorded sequentially rather than simultaneously and, since each line of characters on the print drum is con-tinuously rotating, the information would be imperfectly recorded.

The printing transducer of the present invention permits information that is stored in a serial type of memory device to be re-edited at the transducer. In this regard, it may be recalled that there is a relatively large period of time, called the tolerance time, during which the interference wire may be flexed into position to be engaged .by a sprocket corresponding to a selected character on the print drum. During this tolerance time, a sequence of stored information may be scanned in the memory device and signals generated corresponding to characters of information occupying different positions in the sequence. These signals are re-edited at the transducer by means of a suitably connected plugboard and applied to preselected interference wires to obtain the desired Second sequence. This result may be attained because the signals for flexing the interference wires may occur at any time during the tolerance time but the printing of the characters is determined by the engagement of the liexed interference wires with their associated sprockets.

The printing transducer of the present invention may be of further advantage when it is desirable to employ a straight line-type of print drum with a serial type of memory device. Ordinarily, identical characters of information occupying different positions in the stored sequence are printed sequentially and, since the print drum is continuously rotating, a skewed-type print drum such as that disclosed in co-pending U. S. patent application Serial No. 360,998 for Printing Cylinders for High-Speed Printing Systems, by Richard A. Hartley, filed Iune 1l, V1953, must be used to ensure that the characters are successfully recorded. However, the tolerance time, mentioned above in connection with re-editing, makes it possible to simultaneously print sequentially stored information so that a straight line-type of print drum can be used. This is true whether the printing paper is subjected to continuous or intermittent motion.

The opportunity to use a straight line-type of print drum when the information is sequentially stored does not preclude the use of a skewed-type print drum which may be utilized to simultaneously print sequentially stored information by similarly skewing the sprockets. Thus, the printing transducer of the present invention imparts a flexibility to data processing machines that is not easily attained with prior art printing transducers.

One of the most important advantages of the printing transducer of the present invention is that a plurality of these transducers may be arranged in a very compact array. The slender interference wire requires very little flexing to be brought into engagement with a selected sprocket so that a large number of such wires may be confined in a given space. Furthermore, an assemblage of printing transducers is operable with the use of only one magnet thereby facilitating the formation of a closely packed array and overcoming one of the objectionable features of the arrays found in the prior art.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a high-speed electro-mechanical printing transducer for energizing a printing element from a source of mechanical energy in response to an applied electrical signal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer that operates in response to the interaction of two magnetic fields.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed electro-mechanical printing transducer that operates to ex an interference element into engagement with a moving sprocket in response to the interaction of two magnetic fields.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed electro-mechanical printing transducer that operates to bring a printing element into engagement with a printing medium in response to the exing of an interference element engaged by a moving sprocket.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and .printing element may rotate.

method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

Fig. l is an elevation view of one embodiment of a high-speed electro-mechanical printing transducer, according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Fig. l taken along the line 2 2;

Fig. 3 is an elevation view of another embodiment of a high-speed electro-mechanical printing transducer, according to this invention;

Fig. 4 is a top view of an array of printing transducers of the type shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3, illustrating an array of printing transducers of the type shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a high-speed interference-type printing transducer, according to the present invention, which is responsive to a pulse of electrical energy applied from a source 10 for printing on a printing medium 12 the type character in printing position on an associated printing drum 14. The transducer essentially comprises an interference unit, generally designated 16, which is operable in response to the applied electrical pulse for rendering a printing element 18 selectively energizable from a source of mechanical energy, such as a. rotatable sprocketed drum 20, to print on the printing medium the type character in printing position on the print drum.

Interference unit 16, according to the present invention, preferably includes a magnetic tield generator, such as a permanent magnet 22, an electrical conductor 24 positioned in the magnetic field generated by the magnet, and an interference element such as a cantilevered interference Wire 26, contiguous with conductor 24 and positioned in engageable proximity to sprocketed drum 20.

Electrical conductor 24 is composed of a non-magnetic resilient conducting material, such as beryllium copper, and is preferably formed into a substantially V-shaped planar configuration with a projected apex 28. One side of conductor-24 is positioned between pole faces 22a and 22h, respectively, of magnet 22 so that it is substantially perpendicular to the magnetic field generated by the magnet while the other side of the conductor is preferably positioned outside the magnetic iield and adjacent the magnet, as shown in Fig. l. In addition, conductor 24 is preferably positioned so that its plane is parallel to the magnetic field generated by magnet 22. The two ends of conductor 24 are `electrically connected to a pair of rigidly mounted terminals 36a and 3019, terminal 30a being grounded and terminal 3012 being coupled to electrical energy source 10 through a pulse transformer 32.

Printing element 18 includes a rigid lever 34 which is pivotally mounted at one end on a pin 36 and which is supported at the other end by the extended position of a torsion spring 38. The pin maintains the printing elem-ent in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of conductor 24 and provides an axis about which the The printing element further includes a hammer 40 integral with and extending from the other end of lever 34 and adapted to cooperate with printing drum 14 for printing on printing medium 12 when the printing element is rotatably moved toward engagement with the printing drum.

Sprocketed drum` 20 includes a rotatable drum 42 driven in synchronism with printing drum 14 by any suitable means, not shown, and a plurality of sprockets,

agradece such as sprocket 44, connected to and extending radially from the drum. The sprockets are circumferentially disposed about the periphery of the drum in the plane of printing element 1S so that each sprocket may, when engaged by interference wire 26, move the hammer of printing element 18 into engagement with the printing medium. Furthermore, the sprockets are preferably tapered and of dimensions that impart a spring characteristic to each sprocket for smoothly transferring energy from sprocketed drum 2d to printing element 18 and for properly accelerating the printing element. The time interval during which the interference wire may be freely moved into position to be engaged by a selected sprocket will hereinafter be referred to as the tolerance time, as set forth above.

Cantilevered interference wire 26 of interference unit 16 is a slender projecting beam composed of a resilient material and is mechanically connected at one end to the pivoted end of lever 34. With reference to Fig. 2, it may be seen that the interference wire projects at a Slight angle from the plane of printing element 1S so that its free end is contiguous with conductor 24 and, furthermore, that the interference wire is sufficiently long to engage one of the sprockets on sprocketed drum 2t) when the wire is exed into the plane of the printing element.

In operation, source applies a pulse of electrical energy between terminals 30a and 30b to cause electrical current to iiow through conductor 24 from terminal 3017 to terminal 30a. The current generates a magnetic field which interacts with the magnetic field generated by permanent magnet 22 to apply a force against the side of conductor 24 positioned between pole faces 22a and 22b. It will be recognized that this force flexes the conductor in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field of the magnet and that, in response to the exing of the conductor, interference wire 26 is ilexed into the plane of printing element 1S between successively engageable sprockets 44a and 44h.

It Should be pointed out that although the function of the applied electrical pulse is to move interference wire 26 into a position where it is engaged by sprocket 44a, the pulse may be terminated prior to the actual engagement. More specically, the electrical pulse need only provide the initial impetus for the wire, and the inertia of the wire will maintain the wire substantially in the plane of printing element 18 until it is engaged by the swiftly moving oncoming sprocket. Accordingly, an electrical pulse of relatively short duration may be ernployed for energizing the high-speed printing transducer of the present invention, thereby further decreasing the electrical energy required to actuate the transducer.

When the electrical pulse is terminated the magnetic lield generated by the current collapses and the flexing force applied to conductor 24 is reduced to zero, thereby returning the conductor to its normalposition. At the same time, interference wire 26 continues to move in the path of movement of oncoming sprocket 44:1 and is engaged by the sprocket to initiate movement of the wire and the printing element toward the printing medium. The inherent driving energy of rotating sprocketed drum 20A combined with the spring action of sprocket 44a accelerate the printing element until it attains a velocity substantially twice that of the normal peripheral velocity of sprocket 44a. At this point, the interference Wire is disengaged from sprocket 44a with virtually no wiping action and is restored to its normal position relative to the printing element while the printing element continues to move, with substantially undirninished velocity, toward engagement with printing medium 12. The printing element is thus free to return to its normal position unimpeded upon completion of the printing operation. l

It will be recognized that interference wire 26 may be more quickly flexed into the plane of printing element 18 6 by reducing the mass that must be moved in response to the applied pulse of electrical energy. Furthermore, there may be occasions when it is more advantageous to linearly displace the printing element than to angularly displace it as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. Accordingly, there is provided another embodiment of a high-speed interference-type printing transducer according to the present invention, as shown in Fig. 3, wherein an interference unit 16 is actuated by an electrical pulse for rendering a printing element 18 selectively energizable from a source of mechanical energy, such as a sprocketed drum 20 which, except for the sprockets, is identical with the sprocketed drum shown in Fig. 1. The sprockets of this embodiment are untapered and substantially shorter with the result that they have substantially no spring characteristic.

Interference unit 16 includes a magnetic iield generator, such as a permanent magnet 22, and a cantilevered electrical current conducting interference wire 26 which combines the functions of electrical conductor 24 and interference wire 26 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. In the present embodiment, interference wire 26 is positioned in the air gap of magnet 22 so that it is sub stantially perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field and, intermediate its two ends, is electrically coupled through pulse transformer 32 to electrical energy source 10.

Printing element 18 includes a rigid shaft 1l-6 which is slidably supported intermediate its ends by a torsion spring 48 and a guide element 50. The torsion spring and guide element maintain the printing element linearly displaceable and substantially perpendicular to cantilevered interference wire 26. Furthermore, one end of shaft 46 is contiguous with and underlies interference wire 26 and the other end is connected to a hammer 52 adapted to cooperate with printing drum 14 for printing on printing medium 12 when the printing element is linearly moved toward engagement with the printing drum. Printing element 1S further includes a spiral spring 54 mounted intermediate the ends of shaft 46 for absorbing the force of the impact when the printing element is initially displaced. The spiral spring serves an additional purpose which will be more fully discussed below in connection with the description of the operation.

The principle of operation is basically the same as the operation of the embodiment shown in Fig. l. Thus, when an electrical pulse is applied to the transducer, current flows through interference wire 26 and a magnetic field is generated which interacts with the magnetic field generated by magnet 22 to ilex the interference wire into the plane of printing element 18 between successively engageable sprockets 44a and 4b. Oncorning sprocket 44a then engages the interference wire to project `the printing element toward engagement with printing medium 12.

In order that the printing element may engage the printing medium with suicient impetus, coil spring S4 is employed to accelerate the printing element until it attains a velocity substantially twice that of the peripheral velocity of sprocket 44a. More specifically, after the interferencewire is engaged by sprocket 44a, coil spring 54 is compressed while printing element 1% is initiall accelerated from rest or zero velocity to the peripheral velocity of sprocket 44a. When the velocity of the printing element and the peripheral velocity of sprocket 44a are equal, the spiral spring ceases to be compressed and commences to expand, thereby further accelerating the printing telement. Coil spring 54 continues to expand and to accelerate printing element 1S until its velocity is substantially twice the peripheral velocity of sprocket 44a, at which point the printing element becomes disengaged from interference wire 26 and continues to move into engagement with printing medium 12 with substantially undiminished velocity, thereby printing on the 7 printing medium the type character in print position adjacent the surface of the printing medium.

The transducers shown in Figs. l and 3 may be readily employed in transducer arrays such as those utilized in high-speed printing systems for printing a line of information during a relatively short time interval. Referring now to Fig. 4, there is shown a transducer array, according to the present invention, which includes a plurality of printing transducers of the type shown in Fig. l, the transducers being selectively energizable from an electrical energy source, not shown, for printing information characters in a corresponding plurality of respectively associated columns on a printing medium 12, not shown.

Each transducer in the array includes an electrical conductor, such as conductor 24, positioned in the magnetic eld of a permanent magnet, not shown, and parallel to every other conductor in the array. As previously described, conductor 24 is substantially of a V-shaped planar configuration having a projected apex 28 with one side preferably positioned in and perpendicular to the magnetic field and the other side preferably positioned outside the iield and adjacent to the magnet. The two ends of each conductor are coupled to the electrical energy source by means of a separate path so that each conductor is selectively energizable.

The printing element associated with each transducer, such as printing element 18, is positioned parallel to its associated conductor and in addition, is parallel to every other printing element in the array. Each transducer also includes an associated interference wire, such as cantilevered interference wire 26, which is connected at one end to its associated printing element and, as previously mentioned, projects at a slight angle from the plane of its printing element so that it is free and is contiguous with the associated conductor.

The transducer array further includes a sprocketed drum 20 comprising a corresponding plurality of sprocket wheels, such as sprocket wheel 56, rigidly mounted on a rotatable drum 42. Each sprocket wheel lies in the plane of an associated printing element and includes a predetermined number of sprockets, such as sprocket 44.

In operation, the transducers in the array are selectively energized by selectively. applying pulses of electrical energy to their associated electrical conductors. Thus, for example, if a pulse of electrical energy is applied to conductor 24, the conductor will flex its associated interference wire 26 between two successively moving sprockets of associated sprocket wheel 56 to be engaged by oncoming sprocket 44a. The engaged interference wire then transfers energy from the sprocket Wheel to printing element 18 to project the printing element into engagement with printing medium 12. it will be noted that a pulse actuatcs only the conductor to which it is applied and that the remaining conductors of the array will remain unilexed. Obviously, the transducers in the array may be actuated either simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence by applying pulses to their associated conductors at the proper time. Thus, the array may be controlled so that any number of characters may be printed on the printing medium, either simultaneously or in the desired sequence.

It was previously mentioned that it may be preferable at times to linearly displace the printing elements into engagement with the printing medium insteadV of rotatably displacing them. Accordingly, another array of interference-type printing transducers according to the present invention is shown in Fig. wherein each of the transducers is similar to the type shown in Fig. 3. Each transducer in this array includes an electrical current conducting interference wire, such as cantilevered interference wire 26, which is positioned in the air gap of a permanent magnet 22 so that it is substantially'perpen- -dicular to the direction of the magnetic eld generated by 'the magnet and parallel to every other interference wire inthe array, Each interference wire is made selectively energizable by being independently connected to electrical energy source 10 through a plugboard 58 comprising a plurality of terminals, such as terminals 60a, 60b, 60e, and 60d. These terminals may be interconnected in a variety of ways, two of which are illustrated by solid lines 62 and dashed lines 64, respectively, to permit a corresponding variety of independent connections between the interference wires and the energy source.

A linearly displaceable printing element 18, of the type shown in Fig. 3, is associated with each interference wire, each printing element being contiguous with and substantially perpendicular to its associated interference wire, as previously described. Furthermore, each printing element lies in the plane of an associated sprocket wheel, such as sprocket wheel S6, mounted on a rotatable drum 42 and including a predetermined number of sprockets, such as sprocket 44, that are identical in every respect with the sprockets shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, when an electrical pulse is applied to a particular transducer in the array, the associated interference wire, such as, interference wire 26, is exed into the plane of its associated printing element 18 and is engaged by oncoming sprocket 44a of the associated sprocket wheel. The engaged interference wire is then further iiexed in the plane of the printing element to engage and linearly displace the printing element into engagement with printing medium 12. As in the transducer array shown in Fig. 4, the transducers are selectively energizable by selectively applying pulses to their associated interference wires so that one or more characters may be printed at any one time. Furthermore, by suitably interconnecting the terminals of plugboard 58 a pulse may be applied to any one of the interference wires as briefly mentioned previously with regard to the 1re-editing of stored information.

It may be remembered that the printing transducer of the present invention readily permits information that is stored in a rst sequence in a serial type memory device to be re-edited at the transducer and printed in a second sequence and that the re-editing process may be facilitated with a plugboard connected to preselected interference wires for obtaining the desired second sequence. Thus, by interconnecting terminals 60a, 60b, 60C, and 60d as shown by solid lines 62, successive electrical pulses applied to terminals 60a and 60b, corresponding to charactersof infomation occupying dilerent positions in the lirst sequence, will sequentially actuate interference wires 26' and 26", respectively, whereas, by interconnecting these terminals as shown by dashed lines 64, interference wires 26 and 26' Will be sequentially actuated instead. Although plugboard 56 has been described with regard to the array shown in Fig. 5, it is clear that the plugboard or similar devices may be employed with any array of transducers, according to the present invention, to change the printing sequence.

It should also be clear to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made in the high speed printing transducers shown and described without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. For example, the printing element may be selectively energized Without the use of an interference element by moving the printing element directly into engagement with the source of mechanical energy. This may be done by positioning a triggering wire, such as electrical conductor 24 or interference wire 26 shown in Figs. 1 and 3, respectively, contiguous with the printing element and in a magnetic eld. Flexure of the triggering wire in response to an applied pulse of electrical energy will then move the printing element into engagement with a selected sprocket. Accordingly, it should be expressly understood that the printing transducers of this invention are to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type 9 printing transducer for printing a character in response to an applied electrical pulse, said transducer comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a sprocket rotatable in a plane, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket; an electromagnetic interference unit including input means for receiving the applied pulse, and a flexible interference element normally positioned outside said plane and of a length sufficient for engagement by said sprocket when flexed into the plane thereof, said interference unit being responsive to the applied pulse for flexing said interference element along a first path into said plane to render said element selectively engageable by said sprocket for movement along a second path in said plane; and displaceable mechanical printing means positioned in said second path adjacent said interference element, said printing means being displaced along said second path, in response to the movement of said inter'- ference element in said second path, to print the character.

2. The printing transducer defined in claim l wherein said source of mechanical energy includes a rotatable sprocket wheel having a plurality of radially extending sprockets circumferentially disposed about the periphery of said wheel, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket wheel in said plane, each one of the sprockets being selectively engageable with said interference element when said element is flexed into said plane for further fiexing said element along said second path in said plane.

3. The printing transducer defined in claim l wherein said printing means is normally maintained in a predetermined position, said printing transducer further including elastic means connected to said printing means for restoring the displaced printing means to said predetermined position.

4. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer for printing a character in response to an applied electrical pulse, said transducer comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a sprocket rotatable in a plane, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket; magnetic means for generating a magnetic field; a flexible cantilevered electrical conductor normally positioned outside said plane in said magnetic field and including means to receive the applied pulse, said conductor being initially flexed along a first path into said plane in response to the interaction of said magnetic field and the applied pulse, said conductor being of a length sufiicient for selectively engaging said sprocket when initially flexed for further flexing along a second path in said plane; and mechanical printing means including a displaceable printing element normally positioned in said second path adjacent said conductor, said printing element being displaced along said second path, in response to ilexure of said conductor in said plane, to print the character.

5. The printing transducer defined in claim 4 wherein said mechanical printing means includes resilient means mechanically coupled to said printing element to provide a smooth transfer of energy from said source of mechanical energy to said printing element and to accelerate said printing element while being displaced.

6. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer for printing an information character in response to an applied electrical pulse, said transducer comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a sprocket rotatable in a plane, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket; magnetic means for generating a magnetic field; electrical means including a flexible electrical conductor positioned in said magnetic field, and input means for applying the electrical pulse to said conductor, said conductor being normally of a first configuration and being selectively flexed into a second configuration in response to the interaction of said magnetic field and the applied pulse; a fiexible interference element normally positioned outside said plane and contlguous to said conductor, said interference element being m1t1ally flexed along a first path into said plane in response to flexure of said conductor, said interference element being of a length suflicient for engaging said sprocket when initially flexed for further flexure along a second path in said plane; and displaceable mechanical printing means positioned in said second path contiguous to said interference element, said printing means being displaced in said plane to print the information character in response to flexure of said interference element in said plane.

7. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer for printing a character by selectively engaging a printing medium with a printing element in response to an applied electrical pulse, said transducerV comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a sprocket rotatable in a plane, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket; magnetic means for generating a first magnetic field; electrical means including a flexible electrical conductor positioned in said first magnetic field, and input means for applying the electrical pulse to said conductor to' generate a second magnetic field about said conductor, said conductor being normally of a planar configuration and, in response to the interaction of said first and second magnetic fields, being selectively flexed into a non-planar configuration; and flexible interference means positioned contiguous to said conductor and adjacent the printing element, said interference means .being normally positioned outside said plane and being selectively flexed into said plane between said sprocket and the printing element in response to flexure of said conductor, said interference means thereby being selectively engaged by said sprocket to transfer energy from said source to the printing element, whereby the printing element is accelerated toward the printing medium.

8. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer for printing an information character on a printing medium in response to an applied electrical pulse, said transducer comprising: a rotatable drum having a plurality of radially extending sprockets circumferentially disposed about said drum and rotatable in a plane; means for continuously rotating said drum; magnetic means for generating a magnetic field; a flexible cantilevered electrical conductor positioned in said magnetic field and having input means for receiving the applied pulse, said conductor being normally positioned outside said plane and of a length suflicient for engagement by a sprocket when flexed into the plane thereof, said conductor being selectively flexed, in response to the interaction of said magnetic field and the applied pulse, along a first path into said plane to be engaged by a selected one of said sprockets for further flexing along a second path in said plane; and mechanical printing means including a displaceable printing element positioned in said second path contiguous to said conductor, said printing element being displaced into engagement with the printing medium in response to the further flexing of said conductor, whereby the character is printed.

9, ln a high speed electro-mechanical interference-type transducer for recording an information character in response to an applied electrical signal, the combination comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a motor, and a member periodically moved by said motor over a fixed path in a plane; an interference unit including input means for receiving the applied signal, and a flexible interference element normally positioned outside said plane, said interference unit being responsive to the applied signal for selectively flexing said interference element into the fixed path in said plane to render said interference element selectively engageable by said member for further flexing in said plane; and a displaceable printing element positioned in said plane and contiguous to said interference element, said printing element being displaced along another path in said plane in response to engagement of said interference element by said member.

l0. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type printing transducer for printing an information character 11 on a printing medium in response to an applied electrical signal, said transducer comprising: a source of mechanical energy including at least one member rotatable in a plane; mechanical means for continuously rotating said member in said plane; printing means including a displaceable printing element positioned in said plane, said printing clement being energizable from said source for movement into engagement with the printing medium to print the information character; and an interference unit including input means for receiving the applied signal, and a iiexible interference element positioned outside said plane and selectively interposable between said member and said printing element, said interference unit being responsive to the applied electrical signal for selectively flexing said interference element between said member and said printing element to selectively energize said printing element from said source of mechanical energy.

11. A high speed electro-mechanical interference-type transducer for recording information in response to an applied electrical signal, said transducer comprising: a source of mechanical energy including a rotatable sprocket, and means for continuously rotating said sprocket; a recording element energizable from said source for recording the information; and an electromagnetic interference unit having input means for receiving the applied electrical signal, and including a exible interference element positioned contiguous with said source and said recording element and of a length sufficient for engaging said sprocket, said interference unit being responsive to the applied electrical signal for selectively flexing said interference element to mechanically couple said source to said recording element to selectively energize said element from said source.

12. The transducer defined in claim 11 wherein said interference unit further includes magnetic means for generating a magnetic field, and a flexible electrical conductor connected to said input means and positioned in said field, said conductor being contiguous to said interference element and selectively flexed in response to the interaction ot said field and the applied signal for selectively flexing said interference element, thereby -to selectively couple said source to said recording element.

13. The transducer defined in claim 11 wherein said interference unit further includes magnetic means for generating a magnetic field, said interference element being positioned in said field and being selectively interposed between said sprocket and said recording element in response to the applied signal for selectively coupling said source to said recording clement.

14. In an interference-type printing transducer wherein a printing element is selectively energized from a Source of mechanical energy to print an information character in response to an applied electrical signal, the combination comprising: magnetic means for generating a first magnetic tield; a flexible electrical conductor positioned in said field; input means connected to said conductor for applying the electrical signal to said conductor to produce a second magnetic field about said conductor, said conductor being normallyl of a first configuration and being selectively tlexed into a second configuration in response to the interaction of said first and second magnetic fields; and a flexible interference element contiguous of said conductor, said interference element being flexed, in response to flexure of said conductor, for selective interposition between the source and the printing element to render the printing element selectively energizable Ifrom the source.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

